Drama builds in battle over homeless shelter in Franklin Square

An emergency housing shelter in Franklin Square is not sitting well with residents, the village or the Catholic Church.

The Broken But Not Destroyed Homeless Shelter in Franklin Square is a safe haven for homeless women and children. But as News 12 has reported, hundreds in the community were outraged to learn that St. Catherine's Church signed a five-year lease with the shelter.

The church, the shelter’s landlord, has since sued the shelter. And just this month, the town of Hempstead slapped it with several building code violations.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre tells News 12 the shelter has to cure its building and zoning violations within four months.

“They’re saying the individual rooms do not meet the measurements for two people, although it meets the state requirements,” says Executive Director Kayde Austin Thompson.

Thompson says they’ll fight it all in court, but that the battle has hit an all-time low. She claims a parishioner broke into the shelter van and stole $400 in cash. It was caught on surveillance video a few weeks ago, and Thompson filed a police report.

Some residents are still upset the shelter is in the neighborhood. But Britney, who’s been living in the emergency housing with her 2-year-old son for the last two weeks, says she’d be out on the street without it.

“It's giving me that stepping stone where I can have time to actually look for a place while being in my situation,” she says.

The diocese says the homeless shelter must continue to pay its rent and comply with the lease agreement. Meanwhile, the shelter has a town court date on Sept. 13.

A 51-year-old highway bridge in the Italian port city of Genoa collapsed in a driving rain Tuesday, killing at least 26 people and injuring 16 others as it sent dozens of vehicles tumbling into a heap of concrete and twisted steel.

A 51-year-old highway bridge in the Italian port city of Genoa collapsed in a driving rain Tuesday, killing at least 26 people and injuring 16 others as it sent dozens of vehicles tumbling into a heap of concrete and twisted steel.

A general view of the Morandi bridge which collapsed on August 14, 2018 in Genoa, Italy.

A general view of the Morandi bridge which collapsed on August 14, 2018 in Genoa, Italy.

A bridge on a main highway linking Italy with France collapsed in the Italian port city of Genoa during a sudden, violent storm, sending vehicles plunging 45 meters (nearly 150 feet) into a heap of rubble.

A bridge on a main highway linking Italy with France collapsed in the Italian port city of Genoa during a sudden, violent storm, sending vehicles plunging 45 meters (nearly 150 feet) into a heap of rubble.

Craving something savory or sweet? It doesn't really matter when it comes to food trucks, where you can have it all -- you just have to know where to find them! Here is a list of food trucks and where you could find them on Long Island.

Craving something savory or sweet? It doesn't really matter when it comes to food trucks, where you can have it all -- you just have to know where to find them! Here is a list of food trucks and where you could find them on Long Island.